The breadth of knowledge you have about your startup’s metrics and its place in the market is often a ‘make it or break it’ factor for most VCs. Knowing accurate statistics as well as how your company will perform, are key elements for every pitch deck and investor meeting. Without these, you probably won’t be taken seriously, says Eric Broughton.

Eric Broughton is the President and COO of YieldTechnologies, Inc. and the Founder and Visionary behind RentSocial, a social renting site. Eric is also a mentor for the Chicago Founder Institute, which is currently accepting applications for the Autumn Semester.

In this video from the Chicago Founder Institute, Eric explains the fundamentals of startup research and which metrics VCs expect to see in your pitch deck and your team.

To hear more from Eric, apply now to the Chicago Founder Institute, where he will be mentoring this Fall. Those who apply by this Sunday's Early Application Deadline (Sept 22) get to take the Predictive Admissions Test for free (it is typically $50), and are also eligible to receive one of several Founder Institute Fellowships.

The Founder Institute is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, helping aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 50 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 1,563 companies in 5 years. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and build sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.